Deck 2: Consuming Research

Question 1

What are the best sources of research literature for your current job?

Answer 1

This question presupposes that students are working adults and can identify research literature in their profession. Reference to the basic Internet tools could be part of the discussion. Distinctions could be made between popular literature and refereed journals or databases.

Question 2

Using research terms, how would you describe your own professional philosophy?

Answer 2

Responses should include the terms used in the text, such as rationalism, realism, idealism, pragmatism, relativism, empiricism, positivism, postpositivism, phenomenology, and constructivism.

Question 3

What is empirical research, and why is it important?

Answer 3

Responses should emphasize the role of experience and evidence in empirical research and the need to explain or predict events in order to improve conditions or add knowledge to the database.

Question 4

How did postpositivism grow out of the positivist philosophy?

Question 5

Differentiate between fundamental and applied research.

Question 6

How is quantitative research different from qualitative research? How are they the same?

Question 7

What is meant by variance in research?

Question 8

Give some examples of different measures of dispersion (e.g., the range of salaries on a teacher-contract salary index is $26,000 to $80,000).

Question 9

How is validity different from reliability for measuring devices in research?